Liverpool City Council has released a draft of a report designed to help provide a strategy for improving mental health and well-being in the city.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Strategic Needs Assessment [JSNA] was put together by the council and experts to identify problems with mental health in Liverpool and to suggest solutions.

A total of 10 recommendations are contained in the report, which identify how the council should proceed in tackling the issues highlighted.

The recommendations include a suggestion of an “integrated approach” to mental well-being as a feature “of all city policies and a key component of all city-wide strategies”.

The report highlights a number of concerning statistics that show Liverpool lagging behind other cities in certain issues that contribute to the general mental well-being of its residents.

For instance, factors such as unemployment – which the council states is vital to good mental health – are way behind the national average.

According to Councillor Clare McIntyre, Assistant Cabinet Member for the Social Care and Health Select Committee, the JSNA is key to aiding the path the council now takes.

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She told JMU Journalism: “Positive mental well-being is vital for people and communities to flourish. We are working with communities and individuals to promote this in ways they see as best.

“We have the highest inequality in well-being. I think we need to be better at prevention of mental illness developing by doing more prevention work. This starts when a woman is pregnant and must continue – supporting individuals, families and communities to develop resilience to protect them. A more social model of care.”

The council already has such strategies in place to improve life for locals, such as the Inclusive Growth Plan, released in March 2018 by Mayor Joe Anderson and containing a clear strategy to improve life and opportunities in Liverpool.

This and the One Liverpool Plan, a strategy devised by Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, are to work with the findings of the JSNA to direct the council’s own strategy.

Cllr McIntyre also spoke of the need for collaboration between the council and other official health groups.

She said: “Collaboration and working collectively is key. Strong, resilient and healthy communities support individuals.”